December 10, 2007 is the 40th anniversary of our amazingly warm Centennial Year welcome to Canada by Immigration officials at Toronto Airport. Twenty-three years old and married just 6 months, Carol-Anne & I were granted immediate landed status and work permits. We obtained Canadian citizenship as soon as eligible.

Each December 10th is our own personal Canada Day, a day for expressing our heartfelt gratitude and celebrating our great good fortune in choosing and being chosen by Canada. The U.S. war resisters now seeking new lives in Canada deserve an equally warm welcome.

After receiving numerous academic & athletic honours at my Iowa high school, I graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College and worked with migrant farm workers in VISTA (domestic Peace Corps). I was also very active in the anti-war movement for 2 years before leaving the US, organizing peace education groups and applying for conscientious objector status (denied). Coming to Canada rather than, as long planned, going to jail was clearly one of the best choices of my life.

Don Pease now

I obtained my law degree from the University of Ottawa and have worked both in the public service (National Library) and for PSAC, the union of federal employees from which I recently retired. My union work focussed on human rights, particularly disability and sexual orientation issues. Carol-Anne earned her MSW in Ottawa and has made great contributions both as a Children’s Aid worker (25 yrs.) and a university counsellor.

Don Pease also does extensive volunteer work with the MS Society and in organizing our community rink.